Portland Trail Blazers vs LA Lakers: Projected starting lineups as Western Conference teams meet in In Season Tournament
The LA Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers collide in a crucial NBA In-Season Tournament matchup at Moda Center on Friday, November 17. The Lakers have been undefeated in Group A of the West (2-0), while the Blazers have one win and one loss after their first two games.
Both teams are trying to find some consistency, with Los Angeles being 6-6 so far and Portland having won just three of its first 11 games and currently on a five-game losing skid.
The Lakers will again have key rotation players out with injuries (Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent), but LeBron James and Anthony Davis should be good to go for this one.
With Austin Reaves coming off the bench, Los Angeles' projected starting lineup should be as follows:
- D'Angelo Russell (G)
- Taurean Prince (G)
- Cam Reddish (F)
- LeBron James (F)
- Anthony Davis (C)
On the other hand, the Blazers continue to miss key players due to injuries, with Anfernee Simons (thumb), Robert Williams (season-ending knee surgery), Malcolm Brogdon (hamstring) and Scoot Henderson (ankle) being sidelined again.
Thus, their projected starting lineup should be as follows:
- Skylar Mays (G)
- Shaedon Sharpe (G)
- Jerami Grant (F)
- Toumani Camara (F)
- Deandre Ayton (C)
The game starts at 10:00 PM ET and fans can watch it on League Pass and Spectrum Sportsnet.
Lakers, Blazers look to win crucial game amid injury woes
Amidst their injury complications, both Lakers and Blazers will look to secure a win in this match.
"We're not, I guess, healthy enough to survive tough shooting nights from our top guys. And then I thought on the other end, and that was something we were concerned about, was just the size. We couldn't contend for the most part. They crushed us on the glass, kind of locked down the point. So it was tough," said Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, via NBA.com.
Portland is struggling offensively, having the worst offensive line in the league (104.7 ppg) and has scored 100 or more points in just six of their first 11 games.
On the other hand, the Lakers continue to have their ups and downs this season. They were on a three-game winning streak after losing three in a row. But, their blowout home loss to the Sacramento Kings (6-4) on Wednesday (125-110) put an end to their winning streak.
"I know the amount of scoring that we have on our team, particularly those five guys that finished for us. You've got to give them a chance to see what we can do. Maybe some turnovers, missed shots on their part, you can dig into the lead and make it a game, and I thought we did that," Los Angeles coach Darvin Ham said, via NBA.com.
The Lakers and Blazers collided earlier in the week, with the 17-time NBA champions earning the 116-100 win.